University Academic Center

The University Academic Center, which opened in 2008, houses the departments of Visual Arts, English and Modern Languages, History and Classics, and Government, Sociology and Speech Communication; the Honors College; and the offices of the deans of the School of Humanities and the School of Fine Arts.

The University Academic Center is a single-story building with an elevated roof. This design allows natural light to flow into five large art studios used for painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. An exterior walled courtyard provides additional space for larger three-dimensional projects. Electric and gas-fired kilns, as well as an extensive shop area, including bronze casting facilities, are available adjacent to the courtyard.

An apprentice-style teaching environment is encouraged as each faculty artist has an office with an adjoining personal studio in which he or she can meet with students, create art, demonstrate techniques, and share ideas. Studio space for Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts candidates is also available in the building.

Two state-of-the art exhibition spaces are located adjacent to the front entrance. A 1,050-square foot Contemporary Art Gallery displays rotating exhibits of local, national and international artists, as well as Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibits. The 1,000-square foot Fine Arts Museum presently displays six masterworks from the collection of Sharon and William Morris.